Meadowside Residential Care Home

Updated 8 March 2022

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 25 February 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours notice of the inspection.

Updated 8 March 2022

Meadowside Residential Care Home is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Meadowside Residential Care Home accommodates a maximum of 13

people in one building. At the time of our inspection there were 12 people who lived in the home.

At the last inspection in May 2016 the service was rated as Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of Good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Why the service is rated Good.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People continued to receive care and support that was safe. Staff were knowledgeable in how to safeguard and protect people and understood their responsibilities to report concerns promptly. People were supported with medicines and received them safely and when they were required. Risks to people’s welfare and the environment were assessed and actions taken to minimise them without restricting people’s freedom. Appropriate recruitment checks were carried out before new staff commenced employment. Not all staff files contained the full information required by the regulation, however, the registered manager took immediate action to rectify this. There had been no negative impact on people using the service as a consequence of the missing information. Appropriate personal protective equipment was supplied and used to prevent the spread of infection. Accidents and incidents were monitored for trends so appropriate action could be taken to reduce the risk of recurrence.

People continued to receive effective support from staff who were trained and had the necessary skills to fulfil their role. Staff were well supported by the registered manager and the two deputy managers. They had regular supervision meetings and an appraisal of their work annually. People were supported with maintaining a balanced diet and staff encouraged them to maintain good hydration. A number of changes to the environment had created additional areas for people to enjoy and relax in. People’s healthcare needs were monitored and advice was sought from healthcare professionals when necessary. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible, the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The service remained caring. People, their relatives and visitors told us staff were kind, caring and patient. People’s privacy and dignity were protected and people told us staff treated them with respect. People and when appropriate relatives were fully involved in reviewing and making decisions about their care. Staff encouraged people to maintain as much independence as possible.

The service remained responsive to people’s individual physical, mental, social and cultural needs. Staff knew people very well and paid attention to finding out about their personal preferences. This enabled care and support to be focused to achieve people’s desired outcomes. Individual care plans were person-centred; they considered the diverse needs of each person, taking into account any protected characteristics. People and their relatives knew how to raise concerns or make a complaint; they felt confident they would be listened to if concerns were raised. Regular activities were available for people to take part in if they wished and time was invested in developing projects to further enhance the activity programme. People had the opportunity to make plans regarding care they wished to receive at the end of their life. We have made a recommendation regarding the accessible information standard.

The service was well-led, with strong leadership from the registered manager and the two deputy managers. Records were relevant, complete and reviewed regularly to reflect current information. The registered manager promoted an empowering, person centred culture which was open and transparent. The values of the service were embedded in the way the service was led. Feedback was sought and used to monitor the quality of the service. Audits were conducted and used to make improvements. The service worked in partnership with other agencies and promoted links with the local community.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.